Damage
Another difference between RATs and Worms is the damage they cause. Worms deliver a series of predefined, hardcoded payloads. They will execute the tasks they were designed for, and try to spread. The attacker cannot interact with the compromised machines. On the other hand, RATs open a door into the network, or into a compromised machine. Through the door, attackers can take over the asset, steal data, gain access to other assets in the network, cause performance degradation or deliver other malicious payloads. The RATs enable execution of custom payloads with real time feedback, while keeping everything stealthy and allowing the attacker to be flexible when selecting targets, or the actions to execute. The payloads to execute may be sent from the attacker’s server in encrypted format, so that antivirus engines that scan network traffic in real time cannot detect virus signatures.